The Science Behind a DUI

June 19, 2013
By
Law Office of A. Antonio Tomas, P.A.

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There's much more to a DUI than meets the eye. If you were arrested for driving under the influence, then it was likely because a law enforcement official conducted a series of field sobriety tests and concluded that you might be intoxicated. After a lawful arrest, DUI arrestees can be tested for intoxication by one of three possible chemical tests: the breath, blood or urine test. If you were charged with drunk driving on the basis of one or more of these chemical tests, then your DUI lawyer will have to know how to challenge scientific chemical evidence.

While blood and urine tests are typically fairly accurate, breath test machines can have a large margin of error. With any type of chemical test, poor administration of the test can result in faulty results, making any blood alcohol concentration test fallible. If you were charged with a DUI because you failed a breath test, this means that you blew a .08 percent BAC or higher. There are many factors that can affect the outcome of a breath test. First of all, every individual absorbs alcohol differently. A breathalyzer test cannot take into consideration each person's body type and how they process alcohol.

Second, breath tests do not directly measure the amount of alcohol in a person's blood. Breath tests can only estimate blood alcohol content based on a sampling of ethanol (the chemical left behind after consuming alcohol) on a person's breath. Certain makes and models of breath tests are known for showing false readings. Even certain foods can result in breath test results that are much too high. We know how to challenge the science behind your DUI. If you have been arrested for drunk driving, contact the firm for an evaluation of your case.

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